One widely repudiated act was the murder of Domingo Choc, a Qeqch Indigenous healer from San Luis, Petn department. A lock () or https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. He was also a great promoter of environmental protection through the creation of the Bioitza Indigenous Community Reserve.[12]. MARTIN: As this newscast reported, in early October, a brigade of public health workers visiting a Q'eqchi' Maya village was attacked by people, who also destroyed their vials of vaccines. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. The State has always been absent, Alejandra Colom, an anthropology professor at the Guatemalan Del Valle University, tells The Progressive. She says Guatalama's Maya have a long historical memory of diseases like smallpox and measles brought by the Spaniards, which wiped out so many Indigenous peoples in the Americas. The use, management, and conservation of water are not officially regulated, andseveral private companies take advantage of this by not paying for their water usage, nor contributing to water conservation, and without assumingany responsibility for pollution caused by discharges of waste. One unfortunate loss was that of Mr. Reginaldo Chayax Huex, leader of the Maya Itz people in Petn department. Indigenous women deprived of their liberty in Guatemala, Epistemic violence against Indigenous Peoples. Guatemalas government does not take any measures to empower its indigenous community or ensure access to basic resources. After Carreras death in 1865, his successor, General Vicente Cerna, continued conservative rule until 1871, when a liberal revolution defeated his army. In the past years, indigenous youth have been focusing on recovering the ancestral wisdom of their grandparents. More recent reforms to the Guatemalan Penal Code (such as the Law against Sexual Violence, Exploitation and Human Trafficking in 2009, and in 2017 the banning of marriage of minors, without exceptions) have represented important advances in the recognition of the rights of women, young women and girls. There have also been no culturally-relevant communication programmes in native languages. Because it is the only way for their families to survive.. In fact, they have been more restricted than men in terms of their mobility both inside and outside their communities. The Maya can be further divided into 24 groups: the Achi, Akateco, Awakateco, Chalchiteco, Chorti, Chuj, Itza, Ixil, Jacalteco, Kaqchikel, Kiche, Mam, Mopan, Poqomam, Poqomchi, Qanjobal, Qeqchi, Sakapulteco, Sipakapense, Tektiteko, Tzutujil and Uspanteko. A good example is the Rocj Pontil Project of the Hidro Energa S.A. company on Qeqchi territory in the Alta Verapaz department. This is not the first time. Guatemala has a population of 14.9 million people, of which 6.5 million (43.75%) belong to the 22 Mayan (Achi, Akatec, Awakatec, Chalchitec, Chort, Chuj, Itz, Ixil, Jacaltec, Kaqchikel, Kiche, Mam, Mopan, Poqomam, Poqomch, Qanjobal, Q'eqch, Sakapultec, Sipakapense, Tektitek, Tzutujil and Uspantek), one Garfuna, one Xinca and one Creole or Afro-descendant peoples. Read more. As of June 2020, 62 percent of returned unaccompanied migrant children (UAC) self-identified as indigenous. They can face stigma and discrimination. An official website of the United States government. [7] The pandemic has shed light on the neglect of the health system generally as a result of privatisation policies. In 1982, Efrain Rios Montt seized power following a military coup, and began his rule as a cruel dictator. Indigenous peoples are more vulnerable due to poverty, social exclusion and structural racism. One of the main struggles for Indigenous Peoples in Guatemala relates to political participation. A year ago, as one of his first acts in office, President Alejandro Giammattei slashed the budget of the so-called. Guatemala is home to 24 principal ethnic groups. [14] Economic support for the social groups that are most vulnerable to the pandemic came too little too late, despite Congress having approved specific funds for this purpose. Based on data from August 2021 to August 2022, the organisation said Guatemala had entered the "high restrictions" category, dropping two places in their country ranking because of serious ongoing attacks on the press. IP leaders call for unity to preserve IPRA, NCIP gains MANILA - Leaders of the indigenous peoples (IPs) in Mindanao called for unity to preserve the gains Concerned about the world we live in? For media enquiries about other UN independent experts, please contact Renato de Souza (+41 22 928 9855 / rrosariodesouza@ohchr.org). Manuel Picahau gets his news from a local station. According to figures from the 2018 census, Guatemala has a population of 14.9 million inhabitants, 6.5 million (43.75%) of which self-identify as Indigenous, from the Maya, Garfuna and Xinca Indigenous Peoples, or Creole (Afrodescendants). [13] The government suppressed these protests, resulting in deaths, injuries and arrests. The uprising was defeated with some participants escaping into the mountains and organizing the Rebel Armed Forces (FAR), thus beginning Guatemalas civil war. MARTIN: Ratzan Pablo asks for protection for her Mayan community of Santiago Atitlan from the effects of the pandemic and from the diseases and deaths that the virus has brought. Others try to flee the country to find economic and educational opportunities they simply cant obtain in Guatemala. Guatemala City: On July 23, 2021 the International Indian Treaty Council will participate in the opening event for two offices in Guatemala, hosted by the Mayan Kaqchikel University in Santo Domingo Xenacoj in the department of Sacatepquez. Although the official health services do not acknowledge that Indigenous medicine is capable of preventing or treating COVID-19, Indigenous Peoples continue to rely on their own therapies. Of the five, only Rudy Alcala has been vaccinated. Indigenous medicine has been important for strengthening the immune system, controlling fever and reducing respiratory congestion. For the next 30 years, Guatemalas military governed the country, undoing all of Arbenzs reforms. Indigenous people continue to lag behind Guatemalan society as a whole in terms of health, education, employment and income, a situation that is worse for Indigenous women. And this is frustrating not to feel the support of people and especially of our leaders. According to the multidimensional poverty index, the rate of poverty is 80% among Indigenous people and 50.1% among non-indigenous people,[6] thus creating an unequal basis from which to attempt to prevent the pandemic in terms of frequent hand washing, the use of masks, disinfectants and essential medicines, items that most Indigenous people simply cannot afford. Quej, an indigenous Poqomch community in San Cristbal Verapaz, Alta Verapaz department, suffered a landslide that resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 people, with at least 100 more missing. In clear demonstration of the prevailing structural racism, however, Indigenous organisations were excluded. For more information and media requests, please contact Mr. Jos Parra (jose.parra@ohchr.org) or Ms. Isabela Zaleski Mori (consultant.zaleskimori@ohchr.org). Guatemala has a population of over 15 million people, nearly half of whom self-identify as indigenous. Guatemala: The Quich Maya indigenous group and whether its situation is comparable to or distinguishable from the other indigenous groups in Guatemala, and whether there are reports of its mistreatment by government agents . In 1944, Juan Jos Arvalo, a critic of Ubico, was named president of Guatemala. In October and November 2020, the Central American region was devastated by hurricanes Eta and Iota, wreaking havoc on the people and their livelihoods, especially the Indigenous Peoples of the Atlantic Coast or Northern Lowlands. RATZAN PABLO: They remember how the disease is coming, you know? This is how the Memorial de Solol, Anales de los Kaqchikeles [Memories of Solol, Annals of the Kaqchikel][4] relates the pandemic brought by the Europeans, which spread rapidly among the native population. It was truly terrible the number of deaths that occurred at that time. In Guatemala, those most affected were the Q'eqch, Poqomch, Ixil, Mam and Chorti peoples. Imperialism is as alive and kicking as that one raucous neighbor that is always throwing house parties and fighting with their girlfriend at 3AM. Guatemala has a population of 14.9 million people, of which 6.5 million (43.75%) belong to the 22 Mayan (Achi, Akatec, Awakatec, Chalchitec, Chorti, Chuj, Itza, Ixil, Jacaltec, Kaq- chikel, Kiche, Mam, Mopan, Poqomam, Poqomchi, Qanjobal, Qeqchi, Sakapultec, Sipakapense, Tektitek, Tzutujil and Us- pantek), one Garifuna, one Xinca and one Creole or Afro-descendant peoples. But while the economy has grown during the pandemic, so have levels of poverty. Plantain (Plantago major), known for its expectorant properties, is also drawn up. Without the work of these nonprofit organizations, the little help that these communities receive, would not be possible. President Giammattei has appointed three woman ministers to his cabinet. Read The Indigenous World. In that time, Guatemala has become the largest economy in Central America. "Sadly, this is not an isolated case; too often in Guatemala those who defend land and the environment are considered criminals.". 2022 The Progressive Inc. 931 E. Main Street, Suite 10 Madison, Wisconsin 53703 (608) 257-4626, The Other Americans: Guatemalas Indigenous Communities Are Still Fighting for Their Rights. They reach a certain age and know that they have to leave, Colom says. All countries featured on our website can be found in the Indigenous World - IWGIA's global report on the rights of indigenous peoples. Confronting abusers like China demands accountability for the treatment of Indigenous people at home. USAIDs Indigenous Peoples Engagement Strategy in Guatemala seeks to bridge Indigenous Peoples knowledge systems with national systems by closely coordinating efforts with indigenous entities, integrating their perspectives and priorities into programs. USAID encourages Indigenous Peoples participation throughout the design and implementation of programs within Guatemala to ensure that all activities consider Indigenous Peoples development priorities. Race, Ethnicity, Gender, & Class : The Sociology of Group Conflict and Change. They arrested many communist leaders and released over 600 political prisoners arrested under Arbenz. VELASQUEZ NIMANTUJ: There is a lot of racists against the Indigenous people. This is because structural racism lies at the root of the inequality and social exclusion, as well as of the violations of the fundamental rights, of Indigenous Peoples. Bernardo's lawyers immediately filed an appeal following his conviction however the hearings have been cancelled or suspended on numerous occasions, including due the decision of 69 judges from the appeals chamber to refrain from hearing the case. SAMUC: (Through interpreter) All of these institutions who should've come to the plate simply dropped out, including community groups and churches. Statement by Mr. Ivan imonovi, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights at the special event at the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women on Obligations and Practical Measures to Support Women Human Rights Defenders, 12 March 2013, UN Headquarters, New York, Intervention of the Special Rapporteur at the Thematic Debate of the General Assembly "Water, Sanitation and Sustainable Energy In the Post-2015 Development Agenda", National institutions and regional mechanisms, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Working Group on business and human rights, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. Por Cesar Gomez (Maya Pocomam, CS Staff) On June 9-10, 2021, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights heard the historic case of Indigenous Maya Kaqchikel Peoples of Sumpango vs. Guatemala.This hearing comes after decades of activism by Indigenous community radio stations in Guatemala fighting for their freedom to exist and broadcast information in Indigenous languages to their . Moreover, a 2018 investigation by the Guatemalan daily newspaper Prensa Libre showed that, in recent years, the largely Indigenous departments of San Marcos and Huehuetenango have registered more than 50 percent of all abandoned public works projects. On June 18, Guatemalan exiles who were armed and trained by the CIA and U.S. Marine Corps officers invaded Guatemala. Review of the burden of vision impairment and blindness and ocular disease occurrence in Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. And within Guatemala, rural and Indigenous communities are feeling it the hardest. Similarly, the departments and municipalities with the highest rates of returned adult migrants have predominantly indigenous populations. Despite representing more than half of the population and participating actively in the countrys economy, their political participation is not equitably reflected. MANUEL PICAHAU: (Through interpreter) Watch a cable station that plays a lot of news from the United States, and there are a lot of people there getting sick because of the vaccine. To the epidemiological causes of this demographic debacle must be added the war and forced labour to which Indigenous people were subjected. The series will resume in November . Sign-up for our free weekly e-mail newsletter. [9], The government formed a State Council to address issues of national importance, including strategies to address COVID-19, to which various sectors of the country (businessmen, religious leaders, civil society) were invited. 4 out of 5 indigenous people live in poverty, and 21.8% of the indigenous community is affected by extreme poverty compared to 7.4% of the non-indigenous population. This data point has not been updated by the Guatemalan governments National Statistic Institute since. IWGIA's global report, the Indigenous World, provides an update of the current situation for Indigenous Peoples worldwide. [18], Among the more positive aspects of the year, the following are noteworthy: a) the appointment of Mr. Francisco Cal, an indigenous Kaqchikel, as UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples;[19] b) four favourable rulings issued by the Constitutional Court in favour of the restitution of Indigenous ancestral lands to the Ixil and Chort peoples, promoted by the Mesa de Tierras Comunales [Community Lands Board];[20], [21] c) the ruling of the Constitutional Court suspending the activities of the CGN mining company operating in Qech territory and requiring consultation of the community;[22] and d) the recognition by the municipal authorities of Itzapa, Escuintla department, and Taxisco, Santa Rosa department, of the Xinca and Mestizo communities rights of ownership and ancestral occupation of their ancestral territories located in the Pacific Coastal Region.[23]. Learn more. The Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN human rights system, is the general name for the Council's independent investigative and monitoring mechanisms that deal with specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Until today, indingeous communities are still marked by the horrific acts that took place against them during this 36 year war. Posted in Guatemala. The government has done little to introduce necessary, and long overdue, reforms. Guatemalas government does not recognize this disadvantage and indigenous people who stand up for their rights, often get threatened or murdered. The diverse and beautiful country draws hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. The then-leader of the country, Rafael Carrera, began to rule as a dictator, later declaring Guatemala a sovereign republic in 1847. Photo: AEPDI - Q'eqchi Ombudsman Office. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. I want my nonprofit to become a member, is it eligible? "Dikos Nitsaag-19" or COVID-19 has threatened the lives of people of color and Indigenous communities at a higher rate. Estamos viviendo entre escombros. [We are living in the ruins] Guatevisin, 10 January 2021. https://www.guatevision.com/nacionales/departamentos/estamos-viviendo-entre-escombros-a-mas-de-dos-meses-de-la-inundacion-en-campur-gobierno-aun-analiza-que-acciones-tomar, [17] Elas, Silvel. Posted in Guatemala. For example: the state invests USD0.4 per day in each Indigenous person and USD0.9 per day in each non-indigenous person;[1] poverty affects 75% of Indigenous people and 36% of non-indigenous people;[2] chronic malnutrition affects 58% of Indigenous people and 38% of non-indigenous people;[3] and, in terms of political participation, Indigenous individuals represent no more than 15% of parliamentarians and high-ranking public officials. Addressing the development priorities of these populations will improve public services, promote economic opportunities through private sector engagement, and increase security, all of which will reduce illegal immigration. Corruption is rampant, impunity reigns, quality economic opportunity remains elusive for youths, insecurity permeates all levels of society, and, for many, there is no way out. This data point has not been updated by the Guatemalan Del Valle University, the... People who stand up for their rights, often get threatened or murdered to political participation is not reflected. A Qeqch Indigenous healer from San Luis, Petn department horrific acts that took place against them during 36... Disease is coming, you know to the epidemiological causes of this demographic debacle must added! Velasquez NIMANTUJ: there is a lot of racists against the Indigenous people at home the Sociology of Conflict. 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